Written by Ellia Cobb, Transforming Lives Trainee
It’s a new year, the weather is cold, and reptiles and amphibians are still in brumation, keeping warm in these cold months. Though we are getting closer and closer to their breeding period where newts will take to the ponds and perform a mating ritual to attract mates, we still have a few months until then.
Right now, it is important for them to keep warm to stay alive. At this time of year, the weather doesn’t typically warm up much, reptiles and amphibians will remain in a deep state of torpor (deep sleep) and won’t stir from their brumation until we have a few warmer days. They typically look for places such as compost heaps, leaf litter and other garden waste: rocks, logs and cracks in the ground to see out the winter. Some amphibians even choose to brumate in the center of ponds where it is warmer, and they have lots of vegetation to tuck themselves into.
This period gives us the chance to prepare and restore ponds ready for the next survey season. It is very important we keep the ponds suitable for the amphibians if we want to maintain a healthy population and prevent succession. Newts need a 60:40 ratio of sunlight to cover and a variety of different vegetation and invertebrates to feed on. Without these things the ponds are not suitable.